Cam generating device

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for generating cam surfaces comprising a slide movable with respect to a fixed base and having a rotatable workpiece carriage thereon and an adjustable eccentric pin for moving the slide in a predetermined relation to the rotation of the workpiece to generate, by selective gearing, harmonic and nonharmonic cam surfaces on the workpiece as desired.

States ate Elite arlin 51 May 1,1973

[ CAM GENERATING DEVICE [76] Inventor: Paul L. Harlin, 46 PumpkinDelight Road, Milford, Conn. 06460 [22] Filed: Dec. 28, 1971 [21]App1.No.: 212,953

[52] US. Cl. ..90/20, 90/11 C [51] Int. Cl. ..B23c 1/14, 1323c 3/08 [58]Field of Search ..90/11 C, 20

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Spohn ..90/20 PrimaryExaminerFrancis S. l-lusar Att0rneyJames T. Kline et a].

i 5 7 1 ABSTRACT Apparatus for generating cam surfaces comprising aslide movable with respect to a fixed base and having a rotatableworkpiece carriage thereon and an adjustable eccentric pin for movingthe slide in a predetermined relation to the rotation of the workpieceto generate, by selective gearing, harmonic and non-harmonic camsurfaces on the workpiece as desired.

8 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures Patented May 1, 1973 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 a M aP m Patented ay 1, 1973 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 R mm WM a M P Patented May 1,1973 3,730,052

5 Sheets-Shet s INVENTOR. Paw Z Z, fi a/"Z/z Patented ay 1, 1973 5Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTO'R. Paw Z12 fiaflZam BY IVTTO/QNEXS Patented May1, 1973 3,730,052

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

CAM GENERATING DEVICE I-leretofore, it has been the practice to create atemplate of the cam as desired and to use the template to reproduce thecams. While this may be satisfactory for producing a large number ofsimilar cams, it is extremely costly and time consuming, particularlywhen only one or a small number of cams are to be produced.

The present invention provides a device for generating the desired camsurface in situ and which may selectively include a harmonic ornon-harmonic portion in a simple, efficient and inexpensive operation.

This is accomplished by providing a slide having a carriage mountedthereon having a rotatable workholding means and providing an adjustableeccentric pin for moving the slide and carriage in predeterminedrelation to the rotation of the workpiece on the carriage. By properselection and manipulation of clutches and gearing, the required camsurface can be generated on the workpiece.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thespecification and claims when considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the device.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a detailed view of the slide-moving eccentric.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line l0-l0 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 1 l is a sectional view taken along line 1 1-11 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of a mounting for a cylindrical cam.

As shown in the drawings, the device of the present invention comprisesa base 10 adapted to be mounted on a worktable (not shown) of a suitablemachine tool or the like supporting surface. The base has a slide 11which supports the carriage H slidably mounted on the upper surfacethereof. The carriage has a spindle 12 rotatably carrying awork-carrying disk 13 adapted to support a workpiece W in cooperativerelation with a cutting tool T as shown in FIG. 2. The spindle 12 iscarried by carriage H adjustably connected to the slide 11 by connector16 and clamp 17. The base carries a main drive shaft 14 actuated by ahandwheel 15 keyed therto as shown in FIG. 4 for sliding movement. Themain drive shaft will drive the gearing connected to said spindle 12 torotate the disk 13 as will be explained.

The base has mounted thereon a means for moving said carriage during theformation of the cam surface. As shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6, this meanscomprises a rotatable member or plate 20 having an eccentric pin 21mounted thereon for adjustment toward and away from the center ofrotation of the plate 20 to control the rise of the cam. This adjustmentis made by means of a threaded adjusting member 22 (FIG. 6). The pincooperates with a drive block 23 operating in a transverse slot 25 inthe slide to move the carriage in response to movement of the pin byrotation of the plate 20.

To rotate the plate 20 to slide the carriage in predetermined relationwith the rotation of the workpiece W, a sleeve 26, FIG. 4, is rotatablymounted on the drive shaft 14 and has a clutch portion 27 engageable bya clutch portion 28 on the handwheel when the handwheel is slid inwardlyon the drive shaft 14. The sleeve 26 has a double thread worm gear 30meshing with a double thread wormwheel 31 rotatable on a drive shaft 32for the plate. The wormwheel 31 has a hub 33 keyed to a bushing 34. Thebushing has keyed thereto for rotation therewith a circular gear 35 andan out-of-round gear 36, such as an elliptical gear. These gears meshwith and drive circular gear 37 and out-ofround gear 38 carried on aparallel shaft 39. The parallel shaft 39 is slidable to connect toeither of the gears 37, 38 and to be driven therewith by a spline 40when the shaft is selectively moved to either of two positions definedby the detent 41 being received in either groove 42 or 43. Rotation ofthe shaft 39 will turn gear 44 connected thereto by an elongate splineconnector 45. Gear 44 will turn gear 46 keyed to the shaft 32, at a twoto one reduction, and selectively rotate the plate 20 drivinglyconnected to said shaft. If the circular gears 35, 37 are connected, themotion given to the carriage with respect to the movement of theworkpiece will produce an harmonic cam surface while if the gears 36, 38are connected to the shaft to drive the drive shaft 32, the cam surfacewill be a non-harmonic surface.

Should it be desired to produce a second rise on the cam or control adescent on the cam, the carriage is locked to the base by the lock 17aand the slide is unlocked on the carriage by release of the lock 17. Theposition of the eccentric and the slide connected thereto is adjusted tothe required position to produce the additional rise or descent.Thereafter, the locks are returned to their original position connectingthe carriage to the slide and releasing the carriage from the base andthe device operated to produce the desired cam surface.

If it is desired to produce a dwell on the cam, the handwheel is movedto break the drive to the plate at clutch portion 27 and stop therotation of the plate 20 and movement of the slide while the drive shaft14 is turned to rotate the workpiece.

The drive for rotating the work-carrying disk 13 from the driving shaft14 is shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 7-111. In FIGS. 1 and 4, the drive shaft14 is illustrated as driving the gear 50, which through an adjustablymounted idling gear 51 rotates a gear 52 keyed to a shaft 53. The gears50, 51, 52 are readily accessible, being located at the front of thedevice and can easily be changed to alter the rate of rotation of theworkpiece as driven by shaft 14.

Shaft 53 drives gears 54 and 55 of different sizes (FIGS. 1, 8, 9 and10) for driving gears 56 and 57 carried by a plate 58 pivotally mountedon shaft 53, which gears are selectively rocked by a handle 58a on theplate 58 into driving engagement with either of the gears 59, 59a keyedto a freely rotating bushing 60 carried by shaft 14 to control therotation of the workpiece. The bushing 60 also has a gear 61 keyeddirectly thereto and in driving engagement with gear 62 keyed to abushing 63 of a gear 64 rotatable on a sleeve 65 adjustably carried byhousing B mounted on the base 10. The gear 64 meshes with the gear 67keyed on a parallel shaft 68. Also carried by the shaft 68 is a gear 69keyed thereto and meshing with gear 70 disposed on the sleeve 65.

As shown in FIG. 7, the sleeve 65 is slidable in a housing B and movedby handle 71 to three positions as determined by the grooves 65a, 65b,65c thereon which cooperate with the fixed detent 72. Also, the sleeve65 has a key 73 which cooperates with keyways in gears 64 and 70 torotate the sleeve. As shown in FIG. 7, the detent 72 is in groove 65aand in this position key 73 is in driving relation with gear 711 to berotated by said gear. The drive is from gear 62, gear 64, gear 67, gear69, gear 70 and the key 73. When the sleeve 65 is moved to the positionto place detent 72 into groove 65b, the key 73 is disengaged from gear70 and located in a nonconnecting space 75 formed in the hub of the gear70 and the sleeve 65 does not rotate. In this position the spindle driveis stopped and rotation of the spindle ceases. When the sleeve 65 isshifted to place detent 72 in the groove 65c, the key 73 engages thekeyway of the gear 64 and is directly driven thereby.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3 and 7, the sleeve 65 carries a shaft 80 having aworm gear 81. The worm gear 81 and shaft 80 are connected to thecarriage H for the spindle 12 to move therewith as the slide 1 1 and itscarriage are moved by the eccentric pin 21. The shaft 80, as shown inFIGS. 3 and 7, has an elongate sliding spline connection 82 with thesleeve 65 to be rotated thereby in all its movement by and with thecarriage. The worm gear 81 meshes with the wormwheel 83 rotatably on thespindle 12 and is connected to a bushing 84 rotatable on the carriage bykeyway 85 which connects the hub 81a and the wormwheel to be rotatedtherewith. Bushing 84 has a key 86 connected to the hub 13a of the diskto drive the same. Disk 13 is clamped into position by a clamping bolt87 threaded into the end of the spindle.

It will be seen that by proper and controlled movement of the eccentricpin for controlling the movement of the slide in connection with therotation of the workpiece carried by the carriage mounted on the slide,the required rise or rises, dwells, and descents can be readily achievedand the desired cam generated by the machine.

If desired to produce a cylindrical cam, the work-carrying disk 13 isremoved and a chuck housing 100 is secured to carriage H for the spindle12 by'bolts 100A.

The chuck housing has a shaft 101 rotatably mounted in bearings 102, 103and disposed at right angles to the spindle l2 and the shaft 101 isdriven from the spindle 12 through bevelled gears 104 and 105. One endof the shaft 101 projects from the housing 100 in the direction ofmovement of the carriage and has a chuck 106 for holding a workpiece Win predetermined relation to a fixed tool T, as shown in FIG. 12. Thus,by suitablydriving the spindle to rotate the chuck and moving thecarriage, the required cam surface can be generated on the workpiece WVariations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claimsand portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. In a cam generating device having a fixed cutting tool, a base, aslide having a carriage connected thereto, said slide being slidablymounted on the base, means including an eccentrically mounted drive pinmounted on a rotatable plate and operating in a transverse slot on saidslide for moving the slide andcarriage on said base, a rotatablework-carrying means on the carriage for holding a workpiece inpredetermined relation with said tool, means for rotating saidwork-carrying means, and means including suitable gearing for actuatingsaid means for moving said carriage in predetermined relation to therotation of said means to rotate the work-carrying means to generate apredetermined cam.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein there is provided meansto connect the carriage to the base and disconnect the carriage from theslide whereby the slide and drive pin can be adjusted without shiftingthe carriage for the purpose of altering the shape of the cam surfacebeing generated.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for rotatingthe workpiece comprises readily accessible replaceable gears foraltering the rate of rotation of said workpiece.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said drive pin isadjustably mounted to vary its eccentricity to control the rate andextent of the rise of the cam surface. I

5. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said plate is driven byselective gear means to generate different cam surfaces.

6. The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein said selective gear meansincludes circular gear means to produce a harmonic cam portion.

7. The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein said selective gear meansincludes out-of-round gear means to produce a non-harmonic cam portion.

8. In a cam generating device having a fixed cutting tool,'a base,-adrive shaft rotatably mounted on said base, a slide slidably mounted onthe base, a carriage mounted on said slide, means for moving the slideon said base comprising a rotatable member having an adjustable drivepin eccentrically mounted thereon and connected to said slide, arotatable work-carrying means on the carriage for holding a workpiece inpredetermined cooperative relation with said tool, means connected tosaid drive shaft for rotating said work-carrying means, and actuatingmeans for said drive pin including clutch means connectable to saiddrive shaft for actuating said driving pin for moving said slide andcarriage in predetermined relation to the rotation of the means torotate the work-carrying means to generate a predetermined cam, saidcarriage actuating means including selectable gearing adapted to produceharmonic or non-harmonic cam surfaces.

1. In a cam generating device having a fixed cutting tool, a base, aslide having a carriage connected thereto, said slide being slidablymounted on the base, means including an eccentrically mounted drive pinmounted on a rotatable plate and operating in a transverse slot on saidslide for moving the slide and carriage on said base, a rotatablework-carrying means on the carriage for holding a workpiece inpredetermined relation with said tool, means for rotating saidwork-carrying means, and means including suitable gearing for actuatingsaid means for moving said carriage in predetermined relation to therotation of said means to rotate the work-carrying means to generate apredetermined cam.
 2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein thereis provided means to connect the carriage to the base and disconnect thecarriage from the slide whereby the slide and drive pin can be adjustedwithout shifting the carriage for the purpose of altering the shape ofthe cam surface being generated.
 3. The invention as defined in claim 1wherein the means for rotating the workpiece comprises readilyaccessible replaceable gears for altering the rate of rotation of saidworkpiece.
 4. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said drive pinis adjustably mounted to vary its eccentricity to control the rate andextenT of the rise of the cam surface.
 5. The invention as defined inclaim 1 wherein said plate is driven by selective gear means to generatedifferent cam surfaces.
 6. The invention as defined in claim 5 whereinsaid selective gear means includes circular gear means to produce aharmonic cam portion.
 7. The invention as defined in claim 5 whereinsaid selective gear means includes out-of-round gear means to produce anon-harmonic cam portion.
 8. In a cam generating device having a fixedcutting tool, a base, a drive shaft rotatably mounted on said base, aslide slidably mounted on the base, a carriage mounted on said slide,means for moving the slide on said base comprising a rotatable memberhaving an adjustable drive pin eccentrically mounted thereon andconnected to said slide, a rotatable work-carrying means on the carriagefor holding a workpiece in predetermined cooperative relation with saidtool, means connected to said drive shaft for rotating saidwork-carrying means, and actuating means for said drive pin includingclutch means connectable to said drive shaft for actuating said drivingpin for moving said slide and carriage in predetermined relation to therotation of the means to rotate the work-carrying means to generate apredetermined cam, said carriage actuating means including selectablegearing adapted to produce harmonic or non-harmonic cam surfaces.